1. Field Of Invention
This invention relates to games of chance, particularly to electronically-simulated poker and similar games, playable on electronic game machines or as board games.
2. Description Of Prior Art
Poker is a well-known game dating back to the German game "poken" or "bluff" in the 1600s. According to "Hoyle's Rules of Games" by Morehead and Smith, 1983, poker players can bluff, bet, raise, call, check or fold.
The designers of video poker game machines have tried faithfully to duplicate all of the above actions, causing such machines to be complex and slow playing. Multiple opponents and multiple bets have not been sucessfully adapted to the casino environment. The number of variables is unmanageable when multiple opponents can bet, check, raise, bluff, and fold. As a result, it is almost impossible to determine the casino's profit in advance. Thus casinos were not interested in purchasing such machines.
Currently, casinos have a five-card-draw poker machine which is playable by only one person with no opponents. It has been around for over ten years and has hardly changed. It has no variety, and barely resembles poker since it doesn't provide opponents. The gambling industry has not found a new video poker game justifying the risk and investment it takes to bring it to the public.